Long gone are the days when you should only serve certain wines with certain meats. Yes, there are more ideal pairings than others, but since no two people are alike, it really comes down to personal taste--some people prefer roasts with reds, others prefer it with whites.
Function
Pairing wine with food can actually enhance both the wine and the meal. It's about an ideal balance with the drink to the dish. Not all wines go with all meats. However, if you don't like the wine, it won't do much except maybe spoil the meal, at least for you. So start off not only within the established framework, but within your own palate.
Identification
Since you typically start off with making a meal and then choosing a wine, begin with the protein and move to its compliment. Once you've got them listed, it'll work as a great point of reference.
Types
Generally, chicken goes quite well with a number of different wines--Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chenin Blanc. But if you choose to smoke the bird, you should opt for a Vin Gris, Zinfandel or Pinot Noir. Duck shares some of the same wines as chicken, including Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, but it also works well with a Rose. Due to the general flavor and gaminess of pheasant, your choices in wine are fairly limited to Bordeaux, Pinot Noir and Syrah. Quail suffers the same fate as pheasant and should be served with a Pinot Noir. And the very holiday of hens (turkey) should really be served with a Chardonnay, Merlot, Zinfandel or Gamay Beaujolais, a Californian wine that is sort of an early aged Pinot Noir.
Considerations
When you move into the red meats, you'll see a slight shift in what wines should be paired with this type of protein, though there will still be some similarities to poultry. The king of all red meats, the steak, no matter how it's prepared, can be paired with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, Bordeaux and red blends. Surprisingly, venison should be some of the same wines as steak--Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, Bordeaux, Pinot Noir and red blends. Veal works well with Chardonnay, Merlot and Cynthiana, a fairly dry American red. Both lamb and pork work well with Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Chancellor, a hybrid red with the taste of plum and oak.
Potential
The lowly hamburger, though now served in many high-end bistros, also has a number of wine pairing--Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chancellor, Zinfandel and red blends.
Tags: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, , well with, Cabernet Sauvignon Zinfandel, served with, Zinfandel Syrah Bordeaux
